The present invention relates to the field of decontamination systems, and provides a portable, rapidly installable pool for collecting run-off water used in a decontamination system.
The need for decontamination arises in many contexts. Personnel may become contaminated during industrial accidents, such as leaks in chemical plants, or by spillage of hazardous substances as a result of railroad or highway accidents. Leakage of radiation from a nuclear reactor can also cause contamination of personnel in the vicinity. More recently, the threat of chemical and biological attacks has highlighted the need for immediate decontamination of personnel that may come into contact with harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, or chemical agents.
The most immediate and most simple step in the decontamination process is to wash away the contaminants with water, such as by showering. Therefore, one simple method of decontamination, practiced in the prior art, has been to provide a temporary shelter that includes a shower stall, or its equivalent, and a supply of water. These temporary shower stalls are provided with hot water heaters and temporary plumbing to create a shower that can remove most or all of the contaminant material from a person undergoing decontamination. After showering, the user may proceed to a separate drying stall, and the drying step may be followed by the step of inspecting the subject for signs of residual contaminants and applying more sophisticated decontamination treatments if necessary.
A major problem with the procedure described above is the containment of run-off water. Since the aim of the decontamination process described above is to wash away the contaminants as soon as possible, it is clear that the waste water from the shower system is likely to contain a large concentration of such contaminants. It is therefore not advisable for a user to stand directly in the contaminated water.
It is also important to contain the run-off water, and to dispose of it in a safe manner. If the temporary shower stall includes a shower curtain, and the unit is installed outside, water may escape the stall when the curtain is fluttering in windy conditions. Also, containment of water is made more difficult when the temporary shower stall is assembled on sloping terrain, because water tends to overflow from the low end of the stall.
In the prior art, it has been known to deal with the problem of handling run-off water by providing a catch basin having an elevated grid. Typically the grid is positioned at least about two inches above the ground level. The user walks on the grid, while the run-off water flows through the grid and is collected in the basin below. A pump transfers the water from the basin into a container suitable for holding the contaminated water. This arrangement minimizes the exposure of the user to the contaminants.
While the above-described solution ameliorates the problem of how to handle the contaminated run-off water, it has substantial disadvantages. Since a typical pool is ten feet long, it is usually necessary to provide several grid sections to span the entire floor area. Moreover, when the pool fills with water, the grid sections may begin to float, causing a hazard to the users. Most importantly, the grid requires time to assemble. When an industrial accident occurs, or when there is a chemical or biological attack, it may be necessary to set up a decontamination unit very quickly. The need to deploy grids as described above substantially slows the process of assembling the decontamination unit.
The present invention provides a pool structure that combines a basin and a plurality of grid sections into one unit, which can be wound up and stored as a roll for deployment at a moment's notice. Indeed, the pool of the present invention can be set up in minutes, or even seconds, providing a convenient and safe means for handling contaminated run-off water in an emergency situation.